Allsmokenopancake

I agree. But Washington... Will they ever have a chance to reach to the final? They have been more times that ottawa in the last 10 years

It should be "what do you call a life dedicated to hockey? I call it two minutes for diving"

Some of the RBK jerseys look OK, that one looks like crap. That one actually glows under a camera flash. They are the reebok practice jerseys Pic of Ovey at training camp last year with his shiny sleeves More shiny reebok goodness (tiny tim in the photo name is chris bourque)

Update for me Skates - CCM 852 tacks Shins, Elbow, Chest - Same old koho still serving me well Helmet - NBH 4500 with the cage taken from my old bauer 1000 helmet Pants - Itech 8000 after I bust the tailbone on my bauer 1000 had to change Gloves - Vector 4's, changed from the TPS bionic, best move ever Sticks - Same, 3 Jagr curve Koho woodies, one Bauer Truflex Gagne OPS

Understood, thanks. Mt. Vernon is my local (30 min) rink, they used to have a pro-shop across the road, but it moved to waldorf (I think) so my closest is in reston (45 minutes) and the guys are great, but the stock is limited. I buy when I can, and I don't need skates, was just looking for mid level alternatives, to see if they fit me better Thanks though really ashburn and laurel are the best shops in the DC area. Other then that you will end up with a limited stock of gear. I have been to both ashburn and laurel, and while the selection is better they go from low to high end and leave out the middle. I got my first pair of skates there, ccm 252's. Now they have the 292s, and 492s, then its the top end vector pros, xxx's. I only need mid level gear, and its damn hard to come by in this area in my size (I wear 11.5 ccm skates). There is limited sizing, and the larger foot goes untended I have found. Laurel told me they could order my skates, but I had to pay for them even if they didn't fit. So what difference is it buying there and buying online?

Understood, thanks. Mt. Vernon is my local (30 min) rink, they used to have a pro-shop across the road, but it moved to waldorf (I think) so my closest is in reston (45 minutes) and the guys are great, but the stock is limited. I buy when I can, and I don't need skates, was just looking for mid level alternatives, to see if they fit me better Thanks though

Jimmy, if you don't mind me asking, where are you located, or what is your store website. I wouldn't have any problem buying from any of the LHS workers here over hockeymonkey or the likes if they have my size etc. I don't buy top end gear, so I don't save a lot by going online. My LHS (I live in the washington dc area, actually in No VA, and my nearest rink is 30 minutes, and it does not have a pro shop, my nearest pro-shop is 45 minutes, and as I said in another thread, I buy gloves, sticks helmet etc there, and my last pair of skates, but they only carry bauer/ccm) does not have a huge inventory, but if I could buy from msh'ers I certainly would Cheers

No it was me. I have two trips home to Ireland this year, so putting the gear and goalie on the back burner for now. Still want to do it but just can't at the minute. Lot of initial expense. Thats the problem being my age and coming from Ireland, all my friends and cousins are at the marrying age, so all my money and vacation time is spend going home to rainy Donegal

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/1733/allgear8ah.jpg This is my gear as posted earlier in the thread And my latest edition as of friday, new nike ignite LX roller http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gavin2802/de...scd.jpg&.src=ph

I love the feel of the vectors. There was nothing wrong with the TPS, my thumb was just a bit long for them, so were not sitting right on me. But loving the Vectors. Honestly, the blades I don't know a whole lot yet, I can pass ok with the Jagr blades, but I find it so much easier to lift the puck with the Gagne blade. Once I get better I am going to get some blades to put in my TPS (not pictured) rubber shaft, but don't have any for it yet. It was $50 for the shaft at my lhs, so bought it thinking I would use it in the future, for now, I am happy to keep learning the game, then will start buying cheap blades and experimenting when I know whats feeling better for me, and have more control

Belfast Giants jersey from home, Bauer truflex Gagne OPS, 3 Koho Woodies, all Jagr curves CCM Tacks 852 (upgraded from my ankletastic 252's Blades, tape removed, one with an example of why not to leave a damn thing within sniffing distance of a dog who loves to chew TPS Bionic gloves http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/672/vector41it.jpg New gloves, CCM Vector 4 (as you can see, none of my stuff is high end, I am still a newcomer to the sport, which is addictive, but the vector 4 I just picked up a couple of weeks ago getting a sharpening, and I think I am in love with them) And the obligitory shot of everything I don't know why the ccm gloves are so big, I checked the resize button

I just got a new bodhran from my mother back home for christmas, hand made with Goatskin on it. I don't have actual pics yet, but here it is from the site... This exact model, go to slide 2. http://claddaghbodhrans.com/TheDrums.html I also have a 72 SG deluxe, but its back in Ireland. I have a Johnson Dobro (trying to learn that Ben harper style slide, didn't want to throw a lot of mullah for the guitar to learn) And a Johnson thinbody semi-acoustic blueburst, with a suprisingly rich tone for a thin body guitar And an Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic, big round orchestra style that makes me go mmmmmmmm when I hear the tonal quality My wife has a Casic WK-3200 keyboard and a Low-D whistle (for playing traditional Irish music, along with me on the Bodhran)

I'm not really looking to do much of anything at the minute. I just saw in another thread where someone said they got graf skates and then put their old bauer holders on it to reduce the pitch or something, and I was curious what contributed to it. I am just trying te absorb some knowledge to maybe use down the road, its either that or do some real work

I was just curious. If I had boots I liked, but wanted more forward pitch, could I change the blade holder. I have seen comments here that graf have more forward pitch than others, so would that pitch transfer if I took the holder/blade from a graf and put it on a ccm boot, or is it in boot design too, or a combination of all three? What are the flattest and most "pitchy" I guess skates. Just curious Thanks

I am not that good yet, thought I could get a cheap composite to try out first, as I still use wood, so was looking for Jagr clones, and the robatille looks close to me anyway

Is the robitaille curve similar to the Jagr Koho curve, I know its a mid curve and Jagrs is a heel, but it looks fairly similar otherwise. I am still trying to find a koho jagr clone because I can't find them anymore, and want to try to switch from wood to composite

Helmet: Bauer 1000, need to replace, as I also have the charlie brown head Shoulder/Elbow/Shin: Koho 3360 (package deal, I am a beginner, so forgive me if this is terrible) Pants: Have ordered Bauer supreme from LHS, as they were best fit for me Gloves: Louisville TPS response (not 100%, only just got them, fit snug on hand, but wide collar, they are new but probably from a couple of seasons ago, closeout section in LHS) Skates: CCM 852's, just arrived today, have yet to sharpen, bake and skate on, before that, CCMs 252s (I did say I was a beginner, so all low end stuff until I can justify by performance the upgrade, hence the skates being first to get upgraded)